


Memento Mori - The strange case of Prince Lee Minho

by Mimicchi



Category: Stray Kids (Band)
Genre: Angst, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Blood and Gore, Don't underestimate this, Execution, Healing, Kitsune, M/M, Murder Mystery, Mythical Beings & Creatures, Period-Typical Homophobia, Witch Curses, Witchburning, Witches
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-05-13
Updated: 2019-05-13
Packaged: 2020-03-02 15:44:02
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 10,102
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18813976
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mimicchi/pseuds/Mimicchi
Summary: One day prince Minho of saxony suddenly disappears. Days later an orphan boy finds his corpse, the body covered in injuries that were neither from a human's hand nor an animal's hand. Who, or WHAT murdered the prince?





	Memento Mori - The strange case of Prince Lee Minho

> _Castle of Dresden; Saxony; Germany 1538_

 

"Your majesty King Lee, where is prince Minho? I want to see my lovely cousin.", The younger of the two Bavarian princes asked with a gentle smile as he bowed to his uncle.  
"Prince Felix, it's good to see you again, you have grown into a handsome young man. Regarding the prince... He is actually missing. My dear son Minho went missing three days ago. We've been looking for him everywhere in Saxony, but he is nowhere to be found.", The King said with a serious tone.  
"He is what? My dearest cousin has gone missing? Dear god this can't be true!", The blonde prince shouted, falling to his knees with trembling legs.  
"Your majesty your majesty I have terrible news!", The loud shout of a servant interrupted the conversation.  
"Hwang what are you doing here? Can't you see that I'm engaged in a conversation with my dear nephew prince Felix of Bavaria?", The king asked, his eyebrows furrowed in anger.  
"Oh my dear king, it is so horrible, the prince is dead and his servant left as a cripple!", The tall servant cried out, ignoring the presence of the blonde prince.  
"What? Hwang is this true?", King Lee asked in shock, standing up from his throne.  
"That orphan boy the poor prince met up with for nights, has found him. My dear king the poor prince has been slaughtered, his corpse is barely recognizable!", Hyunjin, the servant, cried out, looking at his king with horror filled eyes.  
"Oh dear god this can't be true, not my dearest cousin Minho...", Felix choked out, staring at the ground in disbelief.  
"Bring me to my son, Hwang, I need to see him! I need to know if it really was my dearest, only son Minho!", The king shouted in rage, roughly grabbing the collar of the servant.  
"I will bring you to him...", The tall male whispered, leading the King towards the spot where the prince's corpse was found.

 "Move aside faggot, let me see my son!", King Lee spat at the orphan, who kneeled on the ground, brokenly sobbing as he held the prince's cold hand. Everywhere was blood, it was looking like the prince had been tortured in the last moments before his death. His fingernails and toenails were ripped out, deep scratches covering his face, the traces of dried blood running down from the corners of his lips to his chin. The neck was ripped open, vocal cords ripped out brutally, windpipe ripped apart, the bones of his neck broken. His torso had been ripped open, ribs sickly twisted and broken, organs ripped apart and his heart ripped out of his chest. His hips were crushed, legs sickly twisted, the flesh and muscles of his thighs and calves torn apart like as if someone had bitten right into them. It was a wonder that the king didn't faint at the sight of his son's corpse.  
"Oh dear god, my poor baby, Minho what have they done to you?" The king whispered, placing one hand in front of his mouth at the sight of his only son. Servant Hwang had been right, the prince was barely recognizable in the horrifying state he had been left in. It was a fact that he had been dead for days, there was no way to save his life anymore.  
"Hwang, bring Servant Kim to the castle immediately and send Knight Seo and his best men here, it will require a lot of strength to bring my poor son back to the castle in one piece, that he can have a proper burial.", King Lee ordered after taking a glance at his son's servant, who had been injured similar but was still alive, weakly leaning against a tree trunk. A long, deep scratch through the eyes painted the servant's face in a deep blood red, as well as a cut on his neck where the vocal cords had been, it was close to a miracle, that the servant was still alive. Who or what ever had slaughtered the prince and his servant must've either been too lazy to kill the man or must've purposefully removed the servant's vocal cords so cleanly that he didn't die from it.  
"And take this filthy orphan with you, I'll let one of my doctors examine him for any hints on who killed my dearest son!", The man spat out, pointing at the light brown haired boy, who was still holding the dead prince's hand weakly.  
"Yes your majesty.", The servant answered, roughly gripping the fabric of the short boy's dirty, ripped shirt.

 "You better get up fast and come with me before you get hurt.", Hyunjin whispered in a small but firm voice, sighing as the orphan submitted to his request and let go of the dead prince's hand with a heartbreaking sob. The servant sighed and put one arm around servant Kim's shoulder to stabilize the injured man a bit.  
"Come on move your lazy butt, we don't have all day you know? I have an injured man to bring back to the castle.", The lanky male sighed again, grabbing the thinner male's wrist firmly, dragging him to the castle forcefully as the boy didn't even care to listen to his request anymore.  
"Prince Minho is dead... My lover is dead, why can't you let me mourn after him in peace!?", The orphan cried out as soon as the king and his son's corpse were out of sight.  
"You have his blood on your hands, orphan, I hope you know what consequences this might have for you? Look at his servant, he's literally crippled! How are you going to explain what happened to the prince and his servant while your hands have the prince's blood on them?", Hyunjin hissed, continuing to drag the orphan along as he was still stabilizing the injured servant.  
"Maybe I have Minho's blood on my hands because I had the guts to close my dead lover's eyes!?", Jisung, the orphan, screamed hysterically, too weak to break away from the servant's grip.  
"Tell that the doctors who will find his blood on you.", The servant answered with a dangerous calmness lingering in his voice, entering the castle through the main gate.  
"Send knight Seo and his best men into the forest, get the best doctor in the castle to save servant Kim's life and another doctor to examine this orphan for any hints on who killed prince Minho! These are orders from the King!", Hyunjin ordered in a firm voice, sighing in relief as other servants and maids immediately obeyed to his orders. He ran a hand through his hair and went to look for the prince he was serving as a personal servant.

 "Your majesty, there you are.", The tall servant said as he found the foreign prince in the royal garden.  
"Hwang why did you have to appear now? I was watching the Lark we got on our trip to Leipzig. You upset her.", Prince Jeongin pouted, pointing at the cage on his lap where a small bird was hysterically flying around.  
"To tell you what has happened. I am sorry but, your majesty, your fiance is dead. Prince Minho has been found by an orphan, slaughtered by an inhumane being, the King could barely recognize him. I am sorry for your loss.", Hyunjin spoke as calm as possible, the corners of his mouth wandering downwards as he saw his young master drop the bird cage and drop to his knees, horror filling his innocent doe eyes.  
"N-No this can't be, Hwang t-that's not funny...", The prince choked out, tears filling his eyes within seconds.  
"I'm sorry your majesty.", The servant said sadly, slightly bending down to ruffle the younger's hair a bit. Jeongin sobbed weakly, grabbing his servant's shirt with equally as weak hands. The injury he had gotten on their trip to the book fair in Leipzig still hadn't healed properly, making the prince even weaker than he already was with his small, slightly skinny frame.

\---

> _"You should sleep, your majesty, it is late and we won't reach the next village before tomorrow.", Hyunjin said scoldingly, staring at the Japanese prince, who was busy practicing how to read German properly._  
>  _"Hwang you're not my mother!", Jeongin pouted, closing his book anyways. His servant smiled lightly at the boy's childish behaviour, closing his eyes with a small yawn._  
>  _As Hyunjin woke up again he found the prince sleeping peacefully with his head resting on the servant's shoulder, it probably looked like the intimate acts of close brothers travelling together. Him and Jeongin as brothers, Hyunjin chuckled at the thought of that, it was ridiculous since he was only a servant, born as a peasant, meanwhile the shorter was a prince, literally born with a silver spoon in his mouth._  
>  _"Good morning, your majesty.", The servant smiled, adoringly watching the younger male yawn and stretch. Hyunjin's eyes widened as he saw the prince's shirt slide up as he stretched, revealing a purple stain on the boy's pale stomach._  
>  _"Your majesty, there is a huge bruise on your stomach, what happened when I was asleep?", Hyunjin asked in shock, worriedly looking at his young master._  
>  _"W-What? A bruise? O-Oh...", Jeongin whispered as he pulled up his shirt, a pained expression washing over his face at the sight. His servant gasped slightly as he noticed a red stain where the prince had touched his own shirt._  
>  _"Your majesty, your hand is bleeding, we must see a doctor once we arrive in Leipzig!", Hyunjin shouted, tearing a piece of fabric from his own shirt to wrap it around the injury. He quickly examined the carriage, a shocked expression on his face as he noticed a piece of wood sticking out of the seat where the prince had probably rested his hand on while he slept._  
>  _"It's painful...", Jeongin sobbed weakly, hiding his face in his servant's side._  
>  _"We're in Leipzig soon, don't worry your majesty. I will buy you a Lark once we're there, one that can sing you to sleep every day like you always wanted it. I'll treat you as many of those 'Leipzig's Lark' desserts as you want, too, you seemed to like them when that merchant from Leipzig, I think his name was Subaru Samuel Bartsch, you know, that half Japanese half Saxon merchant who you talked to excitedly because he speaks Japanese, sold a few of them to King Lee.", Hyunjin babbled, not really caring about the fact that the prince's gaze was literally begging him to just shut up and hold his other hand that he didn't have to feel the pain that strongly._  
>  _"Hwang. Stop talking and hold my hand, this is an order.", Jeongin hissed, sighing as his servant obeyed and silently squeezed his hand._  
>  _"As many of those Leipzig's Lark desserts as I want sounds good though.", The younger male ginned smugly, not really caring about how un-royal he was acting. As much as he hated to admit it, Servant Hwang knew him better than his fiance prince Minho ever would and he knew that there was no use in acting like a Saxon royal in front of the bubbly giant, when in reality he was just a spoiled Japanese prince that got everything he wanted if he just looked at someone with sad, teary eyes._

\---

"Your majesty, I don't know if this is the right moment to tell you, but you deserve to know this... Prince Minho didn't love you. He never did. The reason why he died is because he was careless. Sneaking out at night to meet up with an orphan boy he fell in love with, when Servant Kim and him went to buy you jewelry from one of Dresden's most talented goldsmiths. They met up every night, prince Minho whispering sweet nothings into that boy's ear, hell he even built him a whole tree house. I'm sorry you had to be engaged with someone like him, you deserved better.", Hyunjin said those words bitterly, gently pulling the prince into a warm hug.  
"Hwang p-please stop kidding me, t-that's not funny...", Jeongin sobbed, brokenly melting into his servant's embrace.  
"I'm sorry your majesty, I really am.", The taller answered, combing his slender fingers through the prince's silky locks.  
"Hwang I loved him, I loved him so much, why did this have to happen? Minho was mine, did that night where he dropped onto one knee to propose to me properly, because he somehow found out that I always dreamt of being proposed to underneath the full moon, mean nothing to him? Was it just an act to prevent me from finding out the truth? Hwang it hurts so much, why did my Minho have to choose an orphan boy over me?", Jeongin cried bitterly, staining his servant's shirt with wet tears.  
"I'm so sorry your majesty, you deserved better than this. Prince Minho really didn't deserve you. There is something odd though, the orphan boy who found prince Minho was none other than his secret love affair. He had the prince's blood on his hands when I took him to the castle, King Lee ordered for the boy to be examined by some of our doctors.", Hyunjin spoke as he rubbed comforting circles on the prince's back.  
"So basically you're telling me that the orphan boy is at fault for Minho's death?", The prince asked quietly, rubbing his tears away with his not injured hand.  
"Well I can't say if he really did it, but since he has prince Minho's blood on his hands he will definitely be the main suspect on this entire case.", The servant answered simply, releasing the prince from his comforting hug.  
"Hwang I want to see the orphan boy... Not today, I want to rest a bit before I have to face my dead fiance's body, but tomorrow when the doctors have finished examining him.", Jeongin spoke quietly, picking up his Lark's birdcage.  
"Do you want to go to your room to rest?", Hyunjin asked, only receiving a faint nod from the prince. He sighed lightly and stood up, leading the way to the formerly shared chamber of prince Minho and prince Jeongin. Everyone in the castle had been so supportive towards the young couple, it made the servant smile bitterly as he thought about how one-sided the relationship between the princes had been.  
"Hwang please stay here, the room feels so empty without Minho... Do you know if the maids fed his cats already?", Jeongin asked quietly, placing the bird cage on his nightstand.  
"Yes they did. I feel bad for those little beings, they're never going to see their owner alive again...", The servant sighed and pulled a chair towards the king's sized bed, sitting down on it as his gaze met the floor to not watch the prince change into his sleeping garment.  
"Good night Hwang...", The prince whispered as he hid his body under the blanket, which still faintly smelled like his dead fiance.  
"Good night your majesty.", Hyunjin smiled sadly, watching over the prince protectively until he was sure that the boy was asleep.

\---

"Good morning Hwang.", The prince said quietly, shaking his servant's shoulder gently.  
"Good morning your majesty, I see that you have already taken a bath judging from the bathrobe you're wearing instead of your sleeping garment.", The servant chuckled lightly, sitting up from his quite uncomfortable position on the chair.  
"You were sleeping so peacefully that I first didn't want to wake you up.", Jeongin smiled a bit, causing the older male to smile too. The thing Hyunjin liked the most about serving prince Jeongin definitely were the boy's smiles. When Jeongin had first arrived in Dresden he spoke strictly limited, broken German, so the servant had spent nights over nights teaching his young master the language spoken by the people of his fiance. The cute little pouts whenever he couldn't get the pronunciation right were too adorable, it truly was a shame that prince Minho had been cheating on the lovely younger prince with an orphan.  
"Your majesty would you prefer to eat breakfast with King Lee, his nephew and the crown prince of Bavaria or to look for the orphan first?", Hyunjin asked, smiling gently.  
"Eat breakfast, it's too early to face the person whose fault it is that my fiance is dead.", The prince answered, disappearing in the bathroom to change into his royal garment. He eventually returned from the bathroom, handing his servant a red hairband, which the older man gently tied into the prince's hair.  
"Are you excited to meet the Bavarian crown prince and his younger half brother?", The servant chuckled as they went to the dining hall together.  
"I don't know. I really don't know.", Jeongin sighed and went to the King, who gently placed an arm around his almost-son-in-law, giving him a sad smile.  
"Felix my dear nephew, this is Jeongin, he was Minho's fiance. Please be gentle with him, he's mentally scarred from the loss of his fiance, that apparently happened not to love him back.", King Lee spoke calmly, his usually firm gaze softening a bit as he noticed the prince tear up at the mention of his dead fiance's name.   
"Nice to finally meet you, prince Jeongin. My name is Felix, I was your fiance's cousin before he passed away. My mother was his mother's sister, so only I am blood related towards this family unlike my brother, who had a different mother. I am sorry for your loss.", Felix spoke in awe, his deep voice trembling slightly whenever he mentioned his dead cousin.  
"Christopher Bang, heir to the throne of Bavaria, nice to meet you.", The quite bulky, blonde man next to the rather delicate blonde prince introduced himself, he didn't seem to be affected by the Saxon crown prince's death at all. Jeongin had to hold back a groan at the attitude of the man.  
"Prince Christopher I understand that you only agreed to visit my kingdom because of your brother, but could you please at least be more polite? My own son has passed away, you should be respectful towards all the mourning people, including prince Jeongin who I see as my own son even though he couldn't get married to his fiance due to prince Minho's sudden death.", The king spoke with furrowed eyebrows, staring at the emotionless crown prince.

"Yeah sure old man.", The prince said sarcastically, rolling his eyes in annoyance.  
"Chris please don't be like that...", His younger brother literally begged the coldhearted crown prince, his kitten-like eyes almost teary already.  
"Don't act like a saint, King Lee. I heard your conversations with the doctor this morning. You're going to execute that boy who found your oh so precious son, I don't want to deal with a king who is willing to take away one innocent boy's life only because he happened to be so unlucky to find the corpse of the dead prince.", The Bavarian crown prince spat out in disgust, looking at the king as if he was a demon.  
"Prince Christopher it is rude to judge people's actions without knowing their motives. The orphan, that found prince Minho's corpse, is the dead prince's love affair, he is the literal reason why he was killed that night. If the prince didn't sneak out to meet his lover boy that night he would be still alive today. What do you think, why did the orphan boy have the prince's blood on his hands?", Hyunjin spoke with dangerous calmness.  
"Because he proved the last honor to close his dead lover's eyes. King Lee you might be of royal blood but that doesn't give you the right to kill a boy for having been in love with your son.", The blonde said coldly, standing up as he had no more words left to say.  
"Chris please don't do this, stay here.", Felix said quietly, tugging on his brother's sleeve.  
"No I'm done here. Let me leave, I can't stand to be in the same room as a man about to commit a cruel crime. Death penalty is the worst, it should be forbidden in every country.", The crown prince sighed, leaving the room quietly. He made his way towards the castle's healing chambers, knocking on the door of one chamber. A nurse opened the door, running away at the sight of the bulky male.

 "You're prince Minho's servant, right?", Christopher asked the man that was quietly sitting on pristine white sheets, bandages firmly wrapped around the man's neck and eyes. The male only nodded.  
"You saw who killed prince Minho, didn't you? It wasn't that orphan, right? The king plans on executing him, that poor soul deserves better than to die like this.", The prince continued, closing the door behind himself.  
"Oh I wish you could talk and tell me who it was... It's a shame that I won't ever get to listen to your voice, rumours said that Saxony's crown prince had a servant with the voice of an angel. I wish you could talk and prove that the poor orphan is innocent, I don't want a boy as young as him to meet a guillotine. I should go look after him before they take his life away, maybe I'll find a way to free him from his fate and take him with me to Bavaria, where he's safe from the fate of death penalty.", Christopher talked, smiling lightly as he saw how patiently the blind and mute servant listened to his words.  
"Maybe I can help you escape from this place too. You'll be able to live a peaceful life in Bavaria, without a king that will sooner or later want to see you dead because you won't be of much use without your eyesight and ability to speak. A warm king's sized bed, nurses and healers much better than you can find them here, sounds good right?", The blonde sighed quietly, brushing a few strands of hair out of the servant's face.  
"I should go, I will come back later.", The prince smiled gently, leaving the room quickly. He made his way down to the catacombs of the castle, searching for the prison cell the orphan was kept in. He gently shoo-ed the knights guarding the prison cell away, smiling as his eyes met the doe eyes of the imprisoned orphan.  
"You're the infamous love affair of my little brother's cousin Minho, aren't you?", Christopher asked the trembling boy, who was obviously not dressed properly for the low temperature in the catacombs. He took off his coat, handing it to the boy through the metal bars that took away the orphan's freedom.  
"Yes, your majesty...", The boy spoke brokenly, gratefully wrapping the coat of the taller male around his trembling frame.  
"Are you aware of what the old man is planning to do with you?", The blonde asked, sighing as the younger shook his head.  
"He plans to execute you. Orphan boy, may I know your name?", He asked again, giving the boy a pitiful smile.

 "I-It's Han Jisung, your majesty...", Jisung answered brokenly, pulling the coat tighter around himself.  
"Jisung, what a beautiful name... Listen up Jisung, my name is Christopher Bang and I am the heir to the throne of Bavaria. In my kingdom death penalty is strictly forbidden, so would you come with me and escape to a place where you can live freely without having to worry that someone is coming after your head? Where you won't be judged for anything?", The prince asked, not breaking eye contact with the boy in front of him.  
"Y-Your majesty I can't, the king will hate you forever if you take me with you. This is my own fate, my own fault, I shall face the future. I will see my prince again soon.", The orphan answered quietly, a sad smile forming on his lips.  
"I don't care if your king hates me, I never liked that old man anyways. You're too young to die, your prince would want you to live as well, Jisung. You must live for prince Minho. If you can't live for yourself, then for your deceased lover.", Christopher tried to encourage the boy, smiling as gently as possible.  
"Your majesty I don't want to live in a world in which prince Minho is dead! Prince Minho was my light, my one and everything, if it wasn't for him I would've died on the streets. He was the one who gave me a purpose to live for but now he's dead!", The boy cried out, tears filling his doe eyes.  
"Jisung, please-", The blonde tried, getting interrupted by the sound of footsteps.  
"Please leave, your majesty, I can't take the responsibility for you to get caught and possibly punished. Thank you for caring, but my fate had been already decided the moment I first let prince Minho kiss me.", Jisung said with the most honest, saddening smile the crown prince had ever seen.  
"I get why prince Minho was so smitten with you... Please don't give up yet, I will try to convince the old man otherwise. You deserve to live, Jisung.", Christopher spoke, quickly making his way out of the catacombs.  
"Tell me.", A boy slightly taller than Bavaria's crown prince, said.  
"Tell me, what do you have that I don't?", The boy asked dryly.  
"I'm sorry your majesty...", The orphan whispered quietly.  
"I don't want to hear your Sorry, thanks to you MY Minho is dead!", Jeongin cried out, balling one hand into a fist.  
"Oh my god, is that a ring? He gave you a ring!?", The foreigner screamed, his eyes widening at the sight of the golden ring the orphan was wearing.

\---

> _"The stars look beautiful tonight, your majesty.", Jisung smiled, leaning against his lover's side._  
>  _"Yeah they do. You know what else is beautiful?", The prince asked, placing one arm around the petite boy's waist._  
>  _"You?", The younger boy asked jokingly, enjoying the warmth the crown prince spent._  
>  _"Well I am beautiful, but I was talking about you. Not even the stars can compete with your beauty, my love.", Minho smirked, enjoying the faint red that spread on the boy's cheeks._  
>  _"That's cheesy your majesty.", The brunette pouted, blushing a deep red._  
>  _"You're so cute when you're flustered. Come close your eyes for me Jisung.", The prince chuckled, waiting for his lover to close his eyes._  
>  _"O-Okay?", The younger boy answered, closing his eyes. His cheeks heated up as he felt something cold on his ring finger._  
>  _"I love you Jisung, forever until death may part us.", Minho whispered, placing a tender kiss to his beloved orphan's hand._  
>  _"I love you too, my prince.", Jisung smiled, leaning in to steal a kiss from his lover._

\---

Jisung's eyes filled themselves with tears at the memory, a choked sob escaping his chapped lips.  
"Why did he choose you over me? If it wasn't for you, MY Minho would be still alive!", Jeongin interrupted the boy's thoughts, tears streaming down his cheeks.  
"Your majesty, you can't choose who to fall in love with.", Jisung whispered smiling sadly.

\---

> _"Hey you, what's your name?", Crown prince Minho asked the fragile looking boy, who was weakly leaning against the wall of a building._  
>  _"I-It's Han Jisung, your majesty.", The boy answered, weakly bowing in front of his future king._  
>  _"What is a boy as beautiful as you doing here on the street? Your clothes are dirty and your hair looks like it hasn't seen a hairbrush in the last decades.", The prince asked curiously._  
>  _"I don't have a home, your majesty. I lived at the orphanage, but they threw me out because I turned 18 yesterday.", Jisung whispered quietly, not daring to meet the prince's gaze._  
>  _"Oh that's funny, you're a day older than my cousin Felix, who turned 18 today. My servant Woojin is waiting for me, so I should go. Do you know the big old oak tree in the forest behind the castle? Meet me there at nine, gorgeous.", The prince winked, enjoying how the boy in front of him turned bright red._  
>  _"Your majesty, that's too risky, I can't do that.", Jisung answered, shaking his head._  
>  _"Jisung I promise, nothing bad is going to happen, I'll make sure that nobody follows me.", Minho said, placing one hand on the orphan's cheek._  
>  _"Your majesty I don't want you to risk anything.", The orphan said quietly, rising his hand to pull the prince's hand away from his cheek._  
>  _"Oh shut up and-", The prince leant in, pecking the boy's chapped lips, "come", peck, "meet", peck, "me", peck, "at", peck, "nine.", He grinned, pressing one last gentle kiss to the boy's lips, before turning around and running to his servant like an excited toddler, leaving the orphan behind completely flustered._

\---

"I was supposed to be marrying Minho. He never told me anything, I stopped counting the mornings I woke up to the other side of the bed being empty. Now he's dead and I learn that he's been cheating on me with an orphan, this isn't fair. He played with my emotions, pretended to be a loving fiance when all he ever did was loving you.", Jeongin spoke emptily, tears dripping down from his chin.  
"I'm sorry your majesty...", The orphan repeated his words, staring at the ground of his cell.  
"I'm sick of your 'Sorry's, how often do I need to tell you I don't want to hear them!? God am I glad that the king is going to execute you anyways. Go to hell!", The prince screamed, running out of the catacombs while he hysterically cried.  
"Hell...I should go to hell, yes...but I want to go to heaven, I want to see Minho again...", The fragile boy whispered, dropping to his knees with a choked out sob.

"King Lee, let's discuss this like real men.", Christopher said coldly as he held his dagger pointed towards the king.  
"Put that dagger away Christopher.", The older man said in a stern voice.  
"I have a deal old man. You hand over the injured servant and the orphan and I'll put the dagger away. You won't have to see the orphan boy ever again if you let me take him. Bavaria has better doctors so your Servant has better chances in my kingdom.", The blonde offered, still holding the dagger close to the old man's neck.  
"You come too late Christopher. Jeongin has talked to the orphan and he wants him dead. Can't reject my almost son-in-law's request, can I?", The king smiled innocently, ignoring how the prince in front of him stared at him like a mad man.  
"That Jeongin guy is crazy, I mean I get why he is hurt after learning that his fiance cheated on him, but wanting the boy his fiance cheated on him with dead is insane! Just hand him over, I'll make it look like he's dead, but please, let me take him with me! I'll give you gold, land, diamonds, literally anything you want if you would only give me the orphan!", The blonde literally begged, the hand he was holding the dagger with slightly shaking.  
"Christopher you sound like you're in love with that boy. Why is everyone so smitten with a disgusting faggot like him? I don't get it, I didn't like that kid the minute Hwang told me about him and his stupid affair with my dead son. Speaking of Hwang, he's most likely with the orphan right now, bringing him to the guillotine. Put that dagger away and come with me, this execution is going to be a nice show. I'll let you have the servant if you can convince him to come with you, but not the orphan, that boy is going to die today.", King Lee spoke, still smiling.  
"You're insane! It's inhumane to enjoy other people's deaths, you should be ashamed of yourself you monster!", Christopher shouted, rushing out of the throne room towards the place where the king's guillotine was set up. Horror filled his eyes as he saw hundreds of saxon peasants, servants and knights surrounding the object, singing a song to the guillotine. The prince ran towards the platform, dropping to his knees in front of the orphan.

 "Jisung...I'm sorry, I'm so sorry, I couldn't convince him... that Japanese prince wants you dead and not even lands, gold and diamonds were enough to win against that... Will you run and escape with me if I free you quickly?", The blonde spoke, placing a hand on the boy's cheek.  
"Your majesty please go away and don't turn around. I don't want you to see me die...", Jisung whispered, looking at the prince sadly.  
"I don't want to leave you here to die, you deserve to live, Jisung.", Christopher spoke quietly, caressing the boy's cheek as if he was fine china.  
"There's nothing you can do for me now, my fate has been already decided. Do me one last favor...if you meet a boy named Seungmin, tell him I'm sorry. Thank you for having given me your cape when I was cold and thank you for caring about me, your majesty, but please go away now, the king has arrived. You will be a great king one day, may your fate be the brightest.", The orphan smiled, closing his eyes as a pair of knights forcefully dragged the crown prince away.  
"Minho... See you in heaven my love.", Jisung whispered with a smile as servant Hwang cut the rope. A heartbreaking scream was heard from the Bavarian crown prince as a reaction to the thud of the boy's head landing in front of his feet, meanwhile the Saxons cheered loudly. The sight of the detached head and the pool of blood forming around the, in his last moments smiling, orphan was too much for the blonde, his vision fading into darkness.

\---

Christopher felt a large hand gently tugging on his sleeve, opening his eyes quickly. He was greeted by the sight of the blind servant, who was sitting on a chair beside him.  
"What happened? Why am I here now?", The prince whispered, mentally slapping himself for having forgotten that the servant didn't have vocal cords anymore.  
"Oh god, no, I remember what happened...dear god this can't be...not Jisung, oh lord, no, that boy deserved to live...", The blonde stuttered, sitting up weakly.  
"That boy...I failed. I failed to save him, I feel horrible... Jisung deserved to live, to live in peace where nobody would judge him for liking men.", Christopher whispered quietly, a heartbreaking sob escaping his lips. He was still shaking at the memory of the execution and himself fainting, feeling how tears rolled down his cheeks. Two strong arms wrapped around his torso, pulling him into a gentle hug.  
"It was horrible...I wanted to adopt him, give that boy the future he never had...He was so young, so young and broken, I wish I didn't fail to save him...", The prince cried quietly, leaning into the servant's embrace. The latter just gently rubbed circles on his back, pulling the prince onto his lap.  
"I didn't ask you for your name... it's Woojin, isn't it?", Christopher asked, earning a small nod.  
"Thank you, Woojin. Thank you for taking care of me, even though you're injured so badly... I really appreciate it. Woojin, would you come with me if I offered you to come to Bavaria with me? I watched Jisung die without me being able to do anything for him, I'm not letting that insane king take your life away as well. Please come with me, I plan on leaving Saxony with my brother in three days. An insane killer is strolling through Dresden, I can't stay here and risk that Felix gets hurt.", The prince asked again, gently combing one hand through the older male's hair. The servant didn't react, only pulling the younger male a bit closer to his chest.  
"Please come with me, Woojin. I want you to stay by my side, where you're safe from any harm.", The blonde whispered, blushing slightly as he felt the servant's arms sneak around his waist. The servant shook his head.  
"Do you want to visit someone?", Christopher asked, placing one hand on the back of the taller male's neck. The latter nodded slightly, leaning his forehead against the prince's.  
"I can help you to walk there, Woojin.", The prince smiled lightly, raising one hand to place it on the servant's cheek. The man literally melted into his touch, leaning in for a small peck to the prince's nose.  
"W-What was that? If you already kiss me then do it like a man, Woojin.", Christopher pouted, blushing like a mad man as the older male pressed a chaste kiss to his lips.  
"You may be blind and mute but I'd be lying if I said you weren't one hell of a good kisser.", The blonde chuckled, resting his chin on the other's shoulder.  
"Your actions speak more than words ever could, did you know that?", The prince smiled as the servant placed gentle butterfly kisses along his skin.  
"We should get going if you want to visit someone today.", He laughed, climbing off of the taller's lap. The older got up with the prince's help, linking their arms together gently. They quietly made their way out of the castle, the servant instinctively leading them into the forest behind the castle.

"You have the devils on luck Woojin, if I was blind I'd probably not even find my crown if it was right next to me.", Christopher giggled as they walked through the forest. After a while a small house came into the prince's sight, a slightly taller male feeding animals in front of the building. He cleared his throat, hugging the servant's arm to his chest.  
"Can I help you?", The boy asked, tilting his head to the side.  
"Not me, but you can help Woojin here. He instinctively led the way here so I assume he wanted to see you. May I ask what's your name?", The blonde smiled calmly.  
"It's Kim Seungmin. I can already guess why you came here, Woojin.", The boy said, placing a hand on the bandage on the servant's neck.  
"Wait, do you happen to know a Han Jisung?", The prince asked in shock, his eyes widening.  
"Jisung is my best friend, why do you ask?", Seungmin smiled lightly, his words making the prince's stomach twist.  
"Oh lord... Seungmin, I'm sorry but Jisung is dead. The king, or well to be exact one of his servants, executed him yesterday. Jisung told me to tell you that he's sorry...", Christopher whispered, staring at the ground.  
"N-No, you must be lying, this can't be...", Seungmin choked out, legs starting to tremble.  
"I'm sorry, I tried to save him but that stubborn boy didn't corporate until some of the king's knights dragged me away, that lanky servant cutting the rope of the guillotine as soon as I was a few metres away from him. They beheaded him in front of my eyes and I could do nothing, I feel useless. Be careful Seungmin, the servant of that Japanese prince is dangerous. Well, they're both dangerous, that prince seems to thirst for revenge because his fiance cheated on him with Jisung. He's looking for the murderer of his fiance, I fear he'll want everyone under the blade of the guillotine who could've possibly murdered prince Minho. Take care of Woojin, I will return in a few hours to accompany him back to the castle. My brother is still in that castle, his safety comes first for me. See you later Woojin.", The prince tiptoed, pecking the servant's cheek gently before eventually rushing back to the castle.

"Oh lord what have they done to you Woojin? You look horrible.", The younger male sighed, leading the servant into his little house.  
"That beast went for your vocal cords and eyes, smart move to eliminate a witness without killing them. Sit down, I'm going to get some unicorn blood from the back of the house, that we can restore your vocal cords at least. The damage on your eyes is too big, I'd need a whole mermaid tear to heal it and that stuff is rarer than witches in Saxony since that crazy king started burning all witches he found.", The taller male said, making his way out of the house. He went around his house to a room which he only had access to from the backside of the building. Oblivious to the shadow watching his every move he got a glass with the silver coloured liquid and a few other ingredients.  
"And I'm back. Let's get straight to the point and start the healing, alright?", Seungmin smiled, gently removing the bandage on the servant's neck. He quickly mixed the ingredients together, spreading them on the man's injury with a small spatula. Woojin just closed his eyes, listening as the younger male gently whispered words in a foreign language, feeling how a comfortable warmth gently seeped through the injury, filling every fiber of his throat, until the mixture disappeared along with the injury.  
"Shall we drink a tea and eat a few slices of the cake I baked today while we wait for your voice to come back? It takes about thirty minutes until your new vocal cords have adjusted to your body that you can use them properly.", The boy asked, starting to boil water anyways. He placed a slice of cake on a plate, putting it onto the wooden table in the middle of the room.  
"I can't believe that they seriously executed Jisung, this is insane… He deserved better than that, I wish I would've taken him in before he met that crown prince, if he wasn't involved with that man the king couldn't have even thought of executing him.", Seungmin sighed, picking up a small fox that sat beside his feet.

\---

> _"Your majesty King Lee, the Bavarian crown prince has left the castle with servant Kim so I followed them… They led the way to the young pharmacist. He knew that orphan boy, I heard that from a conversation between him and the prince. I saw him carry odd things, such as herbs and a glass filled with silver coloured liquid, he is definitely a witch.", Hyunjin reported to the king, a little out of breath._  
>  _"Oh that young pharmacist Kim Seungmin? He and his herbs were a thorn in my eye for too long, I could literally smell his disgusting witch blood in a mile of distance. Send out a squad of knights, they shall bring him here. I want you to burn him like we've burnt all other witches in Saxony, they're a shame to the human kind. You're dismissed Hwang.", The king answered in a sharp tone, the glint in his eyes entirely evil._  
>  _"Expect the squad to bring the pharmacist in the next ten minutes your majesty.", The tall servant smiled, rushing out of the throne room._

\---

"Woojin how are your vocal cords? Can you try to speak?", Seungmin asked with a smile, taking a sip from his peppermint tea.  
"S...Seung..min… ah this feels odd...I thought I would never be able to talk again...t..thank you.", Woojin spoke quietly, voice slightly husky from using the vocal cords for the first time.  
"You don't need to thank me Woojin. It must've been horrible to be disabled to speak, I'm glad that I could help you.", The male chuckled, letting one hand roam over the older's bandaged eyes to at least soothe the pain he was feeling a bit.  
"I wish I was able to see...I want to see Christopher's face.", The servant sighed, pulling the younger's hand away from his eyes.  
"He's handsome, a gentle face and golden locks like you'd expect angels in heaven to have them. Maybe I can get a mermaid's tear for-", He didn't get to finish his sentence as the door burst open with a loud cracking noise, a few bulky knights storming into the house.  
"Servant Kim back off, that man is a witch!", One of the knights shouted, meanwhile the others attacked the boy, chaining him up before he could defend himself in any way.  
"Let me go! I've done nothing wrong!", Seungmin cried out, hissing in pain as the knights forcefully dragged him out of the house. The fox, which had previously rested on the pharmacist's lap, ran to the servant's feet, rubbing its silky fur on the man's legs.  
"I'm sorry little one, I'm as clueless as you on how to help your owner.", Woojin said saidly, picking the animal up gently.

"Witch do you have anything to say to your defense?", King Lee asked pejoratively.  
"You're the worst king in the entire Lee dynasty, a disgrace to the name Lee! Go to hell!", The boy yelled, not even blinking an eye as servant Hwang firmly tied his body to a stake. He knew what awaited him and hell, he wasn't afraid a tiny bit. Seungmin didn't like it, but he knew that this was every witches fate in the end of the day.  
"Don't you dare to say that again! Hwang get the torch, he shall follow his disgraces of brothers and sisters into the depths of hell!", The king ordered, eyes ignited with pure hate.  
"Old man what are you doing?! Stop this immediately!", Christopher yelled, drawing his dagger angrily.  
"Your majesty it's fine, this is my own fate. Get your butt back to my house, back to Woojin, I have a bad feeling knowing he's there alone. Don't waste your time with this old man and collect your man, he has a big surprise for you. Don't worry, I won't haunt you in your dreams, focus on what's important now.", The witch smiled, not really caring about the servant, who was carrying a torch towards him.  
"You're crazy, Kim Seungmin. I hope you'll make it to heaven.", The crown prince sighed, making his way into the forest.  
"Aw look, he didn't even care to help you, witch. How does that feel? To be left alone by the man that could've saved you?", King Lee mocked the boy, smirking evilly. Seungmin hissed as he felt something hot ghost along his clothes, the fur of his coat catching fire within seconds. Pain spread through his veins as the flames licked on his skin, swallowing everything that came into their way.  
"Oh just go to hell.", He said calmly, focussing on a spell he had once read in a book, whispering the complicated spell with perfect focus on every detail. The heat around him increased with every second, hot flames burning every inch of skin and flesh until only bones remained, but the witch couldn't care less.  
" _Memento Mori!_ ", Seungmin finished off his spell, closing his eyes with one last sigh, feeling how his vision faded into eternal darkness. Flames licked on the boy's face, destroying his gentle features entirely. The witch was gone.

\---

Woojin felt a shiver run down his back, the grip he had on the foxes' fur tightening a bit.  
"He's dead, isn't he? I could feel his presence fade away, Seungmin is gone…", He whispered sadly, hugging the younger's pet fox to his chest. Another shiver ran down his spine as he felt the presence of someone else enter the small house.  
"The witch is gone, Kim, no one's going to heal you now.", A familiar voice echoed through the walls of the building.  
"I can't see you but I know that you're there… Please. Please just end me already, before I end up getting executed by king Lee, I can't do this any longer.", Woojin said brokenly, placing the fox on the ground. The servant heard how something shifted, the familiar being moving closer to him.  
"I'm sorry Christopher, I won't come to Bavaria with you…", He whispered to himself, awaiting his fate with a small smile. The creature in front of him let out a low growl, before it jumped at him, sharp claws and teeth ripping apart whatever got into their way. The creature had ended the only witness of the murder of crown prince Minho.  
"Woojin I'm back! Where are you?", The Bavarian crown prince shouted, opening the door of the house, only to almost faint at the sight of what was happening in front of him. In the middle of the room stood a big, nine-tailed fox, the corpse of the servant underneath one of its powerful paws. A huge pool of blood was covering the floor of the house, the red liquid painting the foxes' fur a deep blood red.  
"No, no, NO!", Christopher screamed, drawing his dagger in blind rage. The kitsune let out a low growl as it realized that it was being disturbed, turning around with so much force, that the prince struggled to stand.  
"What is wrong with you!? Going around, killing innocent people, you're insane!", The prince shouted, defending himself with the dagger in his hand. It was no use, the creature in front of him was too strong ending him with one single hit of its paws, slicing through the pulse arteria of the prince's neck. A pained noise left the kitsune as it realized, that the prince had made use of his dagger in his last moments. He shifted back, hissing in pain.  
"People should forbid princes to carry daggers around with them.", The boy groaned, pulling the dagger out with a sigh. Blood was gushing out of the stab wound, painting his stomach a deep red. He left the house, slightly limping as he made his way back into the castle.

\---

"Your majesty, breakfast is ready!", Servant Hwang shouted, waking the prince out of his peaceful slumber. He sat up with a sigh, walking up to his servant.  
"What are we having for breakfast?", Jeongin asked with a smile.  
"White sausage breakfast, prince Felix prepared it because that's a recipe from Bavaria.", The older male answered, placing one arm around his prince in support.  
"That sounds good.", He smiled, leaning into the servant's side tiredly. Hyunjin chuckled lightly, leading the younger male to the dining room of the king.  
"Good morning prince Jeongin.", King Lee greeted the boy with a smile. The table looked empty.  
"Where is crown prince Christopher?", He asked in confusion, sitting down in his usual seat.  
"I haven't seen that stubborn kid and his beloved cripple of a servant in a day, I wouldn't be surprised if they ran into my dear son's murderer. Would serve that faggot right.", The king spoke, painting his nephew's face with horror.  
"Uncle please don't say that, he's still my brother!", Felix shouted, hiding his face in his small hands.  
"Deal with it, he's most likely dead. Only those who stay in the castle are safe, I'll assign my best knight to look after you, that you aren't endangered in any way.", King Lee said, sounding like he was glad that the Bavarian crown prince wasn't present. Jeongin let out a small sigh, ignoring the king and his nephew to eat in peace.  
"Can I go back into my room? I feel dizzy…", He asked quietly, feeling how goosebumps spread on his skin.  
"You can always go and rest, let Hwang carry you back.", The king answered, continuing to eat. Jeongin sighed in relief, standing up quickly. His servant stood up as well, carefully picking up the prince's small frame.

"Are you okay, your majesty?", Hyunjin asked as he carried the prince back to his room.  
"Do I look like I'm okay?", The foreigner asked sarcastically, resting his forehead on the servant's shoulder.  
"Not really.", Hyunjin sighed, carrying the boy into the bathroom.  
"You look horrible, you're drenched in sweat. You should take a bath, your majesty.", The servant said, placing the prince on a chair. He gently removed the boy's shirt, gasping as he saw a new wound surrounded by dried blood next to the bruise from a few days prior to that.  
"Your majesty when did this happen? You should see a doctor, that wound needs to be cleaned up before you get a serious infection from it.", Hyunjin said in a worried tone, turning around to get a towel to clean the prince's skin a bit.  
"When will you ever stop worrying about me? I'm fine.", Jeongin spoke quietly, nervously biting his bottom lip.  
"You're not fine your majesty, there's a fresh wound on your stomach.", The servant replied, soaking the towel in clean water. He turned around, carefully cleaning the boy's stomach with it.  
"Hwang you're walking on thin ice.", Jeongin whispered, biting his lip to control himself.  
"Your majesty stop talking and let me take care of you.", Hyunjin sighed, turning away to fill the bathtub with water.  
"Hyunjin. Stop it.", The prince ordered, lightly chewing on the flesh of his lips.  
"You need to take a bath, your majesty, you'll catch a cold if you don't get rid of the sweat. And judging from your injury that might be deadly, your immune system is already weakened enough, your body isn't able to survive a cold while you have a major injury on your stomach.", The taller male spoke as he filled the bathtub with lukewarm water.  
"Hwang Hyunjin. Have I ever mentioned how ANNOYING you are!?", The younger male yelled in anger.  
"No you haven't. I'm sorry, your majesty, I'm solely doing my job.", Hyunjin spoke, adding a few healing herbs to the water.  
"So it's your job to treat me like a child!?", The Japanese prince shouted, balling one hand into a fist.  
"No but to take care of you and make sure that you stay healthy.", The servant answered, testing the water temperature with one finger. The prince behind him began to laugh emptily, sounding pained.

 "Hyunjin why do you think didn't crown prince Christopher and servant Kim attend breakfast? Why do you think did I send you to follow them to the witch's house?", The prince asked.  
"I don't know? Tell me why.", Hyunjin replied.  
"That witch healed Servant Kim's vocal cords, so I sent you to follow them in order to get rid of the witch. Knowing that you wouldn't be fast enough to get rid of the witch before he'd heal the servant I went there myself. You should've listened to his desperate begging to be ended, it was pathetic. I was being nice and followed his request but that heroic crown prince had to come back to the house and dared to attack me with his dagger, so I got rid of him as well. Their corpses are both in the pharmacist's house.", The shorter male spoke, quietly starting to shift.  
"You're one hell of a good actor, your majesty, but why are you telling me all of this?", The servant asked, not daring to turn around.  
"Don't you hate me for all of this?", The prince asked with dangerous calmness.  
"Why should I hate you? Your majesty I have beheaded and burnt two boys that were younger than me, do I look like it would shock me if you murdered a few crown princes and a blind servant?", Hyunjin let out a small laugh, turning around with a smile. He put his arms around the younger male's small frame, literally embracing his fate.  
"You're insane Hyunjin, I despise annoying people like you.", Jeongin whispered, placing one hand on his servant's chest. He shifted silently, watching how the older male went limp as the claws of his paw pierced through the servant's skin, blood flowing out of the wound. Jeongin pulled his claws out of the older male's chest, shifting back with a sigh. A thud was heard as the servant's corpse collapsed to the ground of the bathroom. Hwang Hyunjin was gone.

\---

> _"Knight Seo, I have a new task for you.", King Lee spoke calmly._  
>  _"What is it, your majesty?", The knight asked._  
>  _"I want you to go and find my nephew Felix. Protect him at all costs, I can't risk that the Bavarian crown is coming for my head because both princes died in my kingdom.", The old man ordered._  
>  _"Understood.", Changbin answered, leaving the throne room quickly._

\---

"Prince Jeongin?", The Bavarian prince asked quietly, waiting for the younger male to answer.  
"It's you...what do you want?", The Japanese male asked, looking at the older with a sad smile.  
"Would you go on a walk with me?", Felix asked, smiling lightly.  
"I don't see a reason why I shouldn't.", Jeongin answered, laughing a little as he saw the shorter male's smile grow bigger.  
"Do you feel better than this morning?", The blonde asked as they made their way into the royal garden.  
"Yes I do. My fiance's death has been stressing me out, I keep waking up bathed in sweat since he passed away.", The younger prince sighed, staring at the ground.  
"I'm sorry for your loss…", Felix said hesitantly, stopping at a flower bed of white roses.  
"Don't be sorry.", The ravenette sighed, looking at the flowers.  
"Prince Jeongin I have been watching you a bit.", The older male said after a while.  
"And? What about it?", Jeongin turned towards the Bavarian prince, tilting his head to the side.  
"I have come to the conclusion that you're really cute. Would you go out with me?", The older prince asked, taking the slightly taller male's hands into his.  
"What? L-Let go of my hands, get away from me!", The younger male yelled, biting his lip all over again.  
"W-What? Why?", Felix asked in confusion, not moving an inch.

"I said get away from me!!", Jeongin yelled, ripping his hands out of the older male's grip. He reached up with one hand, getting a hold of the blonde hair.  
"Prince Jeongin what are you doing?", The blonde asked quietly.  
"Shut up! Shut up, shut up, SHUT UP!", The younger male screamed, letting his arm shift slowly.  
"Oh no, you aren't doing this, are you?", A familiar voice sounded from behind them. The Japanese prince turned around, noticing knight Seo a few feet away from them. He shifted his arm in a quicker pace, pulling at the older prince's head with full strength, until the skin, flesh, bones and muscles of the prince's neck ripped apart, a thud being heard as the lifeless, beheaded body collapsed into the flower bed. Blood gushed out of the corpse's neck and head, painting the white roses blood red.  
"Oh my god, you didn't just do that!", The knight growled lowly, drawing his sword in rage. He rushed forwards, ramming the silver blade into the Kitsune's chest with precision.  
"What a s-shame, I had l-liked you, because you minded y-your own business.", Jeongin coughed out blood, smiling sadly. His grip on the older prince's detached head went loose, another thud being heard as the head fell into the flowers.  
"What is wrong with you?! Go to hell you demon!", Changbin shouted, twisting his sword until the prince went limb, landing next to the Bavarian prince with a thud. Blood was oozing through the torn fabric, painting the prince's clothes a deep red.  
"I'm sorry prince Felix, I failed to protect you.", The short male whispered sadly, kneeling down next to the beheaded prince, folding his hands for a silent prayer.

\---

"It has been twenty years, my prince. King Lee is long dead, he fell in the Saxon-Bavarian war seven years ago. I am sorry that I didn't come here earlier, Bavaria had imprisoned me during the war. Saxony has a new king now, the Lee dynasty came to an end with the death of your uncle. It's about time for me to go. I'll see you soon, my prince.", Changbin whispered, placing a bouquet of white roses next to the stature.  
'In Memory of the Victims of the Lee Minho Case' was written on the bottom of the tall stature. The former knight traced the golden letters with one hand, exhaling quietly. He walked home, smiling to himself as pain spread through his chest.  
"See you in heaven, prince Felix.", Changbin smiled, closing his eyes in peace.

\---

> _"Seo Changbin, Saxon origin, died from a cardiac infarction at the age of 44 on the 25th of May, 1558.", The doctor wrote down on a piece of paper, placing it between the last pages of the handwritten book that was placed on the dead ex-knight's desk._


End file.
